Multibeam seafloor survey
In this activity, students create a model seafloor and create a map of it through taking depth readings.
Mountains under the sea
The multibeam on the RV Tangaroa scans the seafloor to produce a map of the seamounts.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
understand the concept of underwater mapping of the seafloor
construct a model to simulate a seafloor and take readings
plot the results and use these to create a map.
Download the Word file for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
student handout.
Related content
Multibeam technology has been used in the search for the pink and white terraces, to find out more about cold-seep sites, Seamounts in the Ross Sea and to find out more after the devastating Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapa volcanic eruption.
Useful link
In 2017 the Seabed 2030 Project was launched at the United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference. It is aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #14 – to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. It is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). It aims to bring together all available bathymetric data to produce a definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030.
